


When Hearts Collide

by LuvBusters



Category: Real Ghostbusters
Genre: F/M, Jealousy/Hurt, Language, Sexual Situations, Unrequited Love, lots of fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-30
Updated: 2018-08-30
Packaged: 2019-07-04 14:53:56
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 4
Words: 5,519
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15843594
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LuvBusters/pseuds/LuvBusters
Summary: Major fallout between Egon and Janine causes major headaches for everyone at the Firehouse. Can things be salvaged or will it tear them all apart?





	1. The Fallout

**Author's Note:**

> I’ve never been a fan of GB2 movie but for the purpose of this story, I’m placing these events during that time frame. I’m also using the assumption that Egon and Janine lost track of each other the years between GB1 and GB2.

It was early morning the day after New Year’s Day. Janine Melnitz was on her way to the Firehouse. She wasn’t feeling the greatest. Dr Peter Venkman actually told her she could come in to work at 10:00 am instead of her usual time of 8:00 am. She assumed he was drunk when he said it, but decided to take him up on it anyway.

Janine kept replaying the events of New Year’s Eve in her mind. After she and Louis Tully had left Peter’s apartment where they had been babysitting for Dana, the events of the night unfolded with the Ghostbusters defeating Vigo and walking the Statue of Liberty down the streets of New York. Louis had done what he could to help. Once the drama had subsided, Janine wasn’t quite ready to go home. One of her girlfriends was throwing a New Year’s Eve party. She felt sorry for Louis so she had invited him to go with her.

Well, Janine had a little too much to drink (for Janine, that’s a LOT of booze). The next thing she fully remembered was waking up next to a very satisfied looking Louis in bed at his apartment.

“Oh SHIT!” Janine had yelled, yanking Louis out of a deep sleep.

“What’s wrong? Bad dream?” Louis had asked.

“Yeah,” Janine said, “and I think I’m still having it! PLEASE tell me we didn’t .....” Janine trailed off on that statement as she noticed she was quite naked. 

“Louis, this was an awful mistake!” Janine begged. “Please don’t say anything about this! I...I had a lot to drink, and ....” she trailed off again.

Louis looked torn between feeling happy and terribly depressed. 

“So we’re not dating?” Louis asked.

“Dating?! Hell no, this wasn’t a date. It was something that happens when one person tries to do something nice for someone, then they have too much to drink.” Janine explained.

Louis then became very irate with Janine.

“Oh yeah, you can’t get who you REALLY want so you settle for the next best person!” He screamed at Janine.

“Oh God, Louis, no. Please understand I didn’t mean it that way. I just meant that I’m not really looking for a relationship right now.” Janine pleaded.

“Then why can’t I tell people?” Louis asked.

“I..I...I’m just not ready to discuss my private life with everybody,” Janine said.

“I see,” Louis replied, his eyes becoming cold as steel. “You don’t want Egon to find out! You’ve still got a thing for him!” His voice got louder as he spoke.

“No!” Janine said, even though she knew it was true. “I haven’t been in touch with him since the business went out five years ago. It was Dr V that called me begging me to come back when they reopened.”

“Well, it’s not as if I’ve got a lot of friends to tell anyway,” Louis said sulkily. 

“Thanks, Louis,” Janine said. “I appreciate it. Now turn around while I get dressed.”

Janine tried to shake the memories from her mind. “Certainly not one of my proudest moments,” she thought as her VW Beetle pulled in behind the Firehouse, her usual parking space. 

************* Later that same day, while Janine was out at lunch, Louis stopped by the Firehouse. He had some tax forms to drop off with Peter. 

“Hey there, Louis!” Ray greeted him. “What’s up?” 

“Um.. nothing much. I just have these tax forms to leave with Dr Venkman,” Louis replied.

“Then you’d better leave em on Janine’s desk,” Winston advised. “Or else, you’ll never see them again!” 

“Oh...ok,” Louis agreed. “Um..by the way, um...where is Janine?”

“She went to lunch with her sister,” Ray said.

“Oh, Ok. Can you tell her I stopped by?” Louis asked.

“Yeah, sure man,” said Winston.

Just then, Peter walked downstairs. “Hey Louis, are those the forms?” He asked.

“Yes, But I’ll just leave them on Janine’s desk,” said Louis.

Peter thought about it for a moment, then decided that was best. “Sure, probably should. Hey Louis, how’d you spend the rest of your night New Year’s Eve?”

Louis stopped midway of laying the forms on Janine’s desk. For a split second, he remembered Janine’s warning. Then he saw Egon coming downstairs. He changed his mind about the warning. He suddenly felt very obliged to tell them about his night.

“Funny you should ask, Dr Venkman,” Louis said. “Actually, i went to a party, had a few drinks, danced a bit.” 

“And....?” Peter motioned with his hands for Louis to continue.

“Let’s just say it was very exciting,” said Louis, with extra emphasis on “Very.” He also wiggled his eyebrows.

“Well I’ll be damned!” Winston exclaimed, giving Ray a high five. 

Egon just gave a faint smile.

“Well, I’d better get back to the office,” Louis said as he headed towards the front door. Right before he exited through the door, he stopped and shouted back to the guys,

“By the way, the lady I spent the night with was Janine!” 

Louis was quite satisfied with himself once he saw Egon’s faint smile fade into what was a mixture of disbelief and rage. He walked out the door.

Peter’s expression melted into his jaw dropping.

Ray and Winston both looked horrified.

“And we high fived that!” Ray whispered to Winston. 

****************  
Janine returned from her lunch date with her sister thirty minutes later. 

“Sorry I’m a little late getting back, Dr V,” Janine confessed, slipping her purse in her desk drawer. “I’ll work over to make up the time. The damn waiter took forever getting us our check.”

Peter slowly walked around the filing cabinets which separated his office space from Janine’s. 

“That’s the least of your worries, Red,” Peter said, coming around to the front of her desk.

“What do you mean?” Janine asked.

“Please tell me what Louis said was a joke,” Peter begged.

The puzzled look on Janine’s face quickly changed to anger mixed with sadness. 

“What the hell did he say exactly?!” Janine demanded, her voice getting louder with each word. 

“That the two of you went to a New Year’s Eve party and ended up at his place?!” Peter said, his voice also rising in anger.

“That son of a BITCH!” Janine shouted. 

Peter couldn’t believe what he was hearing. “You mean it’s TRUE?!” Peter shouted back.

“First of all, I had way too much to drink. Second, what business is it of yours what I do when I’m not on the clock?!”

“When it affects my best friend the way it has and when it could potentially make the working environment unhealthy, it’s my business!”

Janine was so angry by this point, she was almost crying. 

“Well, at least I don’t sleep with our clients!” She yelled at Peter.

She stormed upstairs, heading to the bathroom. On the way, she passed by Egon’s lab. 

“Janine, may I have a word with you?” Egon asked. 

Janine shuddered at the sound of his voice. It sounded so harsh and cold.

She cautiously stepped into the lab.

“Yes?” She asked in a small voice.

“I couldn’t help but overhear your conversation with Peter,” Egon began. “Is it true?”

Janine bit her bottom lip, holding back the tears that threatened to come. 

“Yes,” she said.

“Why?!” Egon asked, slightly raising his voice.

“I felt sorry for him, you know? New Year’s Eve and nobody to spend it with? I had too much to drink. The rest is kinda fuzzy.”

Egon took the screwdriver he was holding and threw it against the wall. Janine jumped but stood her ground.

“What were you THINKING?!” Egon shouted.

“Now you listen here!” Janine shouted, walking quickly towards Egon, pointing her finger at him. “How dare YOU, of all people, say that to me?! This is none of anyone’s business!”

“It’s our business when it involves people IN the business!” Egon argued.

“Then why has no one said a damn thing that Peter has been chasing after Dana?!” Janine shouted back. 

“That’s different,” Egon said.

“How so?” Janine countered, folding her arms across her chest. 

“It Just is,” Egon said, starting to feel like he was losing this fight. He still stood tall regardless. 

“Unbelievable!” Janine said, throwing up her arms in disbelief. “You’re jealous!”

“That’s Not the point,” Egon said.

“The Hell it ain’t!” Janine shouted. “I can’t believe you! I spent how long flirting with you just to get nowhere. And then, after the business was shut down, you fell off the face of the fucking Earth! I couldn’t even find you at the university! Now, outta the blue, you all expected me to run back and take my position again after all this time?! Well, you’ve had your chance, Egon!”

“I never had a chance with you!” Egon yelled back. 

“All you had to do was pick up the damn phone. How hard was that?!” Janine said, tears swelling in her eyes.

“I never felt like I could do that,” Egon said, his eyes hardening.

“Well, the fact remains, my private life is that - PRIVATE! Who I choose to date, spend time with or even sleep with is none of your business! I could sleep with half the men in Manhattan if I wanted to and it’s none of your business!”

“You probably already HAVE!” Egon shouted. He regretted it as soon as he said it. 

Janine’s face turned red, tears streaming down her face, her entire body trembling. 

“FUCK YOU, DR SPENGLER!” She yelled, then ran downstairs to her desk.

Ray and Winston had joined Peter in the garage area when the yelling in the lab started. 

Janine grabbed her purse and headed for the door. 

“I..I..forgot I needed to go by the office supply store,” Janine stuttered. 

The guys looked at each other, all three worried whether Janine would come back.

“Of all the times for Egon’s brain fail to filter his mouth, it was now,” Peter said, rolling his eyes. 

“I take it you heard that?” Egon asked sheepishly as he was walking downstairs. 

“Half the block heard that,” Winston said.

“She’ll be back,” Ray said. 

“Would you come back?” Peter said, with a frown.

****************  
The guys were all fiddling around the garage area, eager to see if Janine was coming back. It had been nearly an hour since she had stormed out.

Suddenly, a policeman entered the Firehouse. 

“Excuse me, I’m looking for the Ghostbusters?” The officer asked.

“I’m Dr Venkman,” Peter offered. He gestured to the others: “This is Dr Stanz, Dr Spengler and Mr Zeddemore. We’re the Ghostbusters.”

The policeman stood before them, looking very hesitant. “I’ll just get to the point,” he said. “Ms Melnitz has been involved in a seriously bad car accident.”

The guys hearts all seemed to stop at once, their faces paling, especially Egon’s.

“How bad?” asked Winston.

“Her car was T-boned by a driver running a red light. She was pinned very tightly inside her vehicle. The rescue personnel used the jaws of life to get her out. I don’t know the extent of her injuries but from the look of things, it’s not good,” the officer said. “I couldn’t find any information of her next of kin in her purse, but I recognized her to be your secretary.”

“Which hospital was she being taken to?” Winston asked.

“New York-Presbyterian,” The officer advised.

“Thank you officer,” Peter said, shaking his hand.

As the officer left, Ray started going through papers on Janine’s desk.

“She’s gotta have some phone numbers around here somewhere!” Ray shouted. “You guys go on to the hospital. I’ll catch a cab. I’ll find Janine’s family’s number and let them know first.”

“You got it,” Peter said. “Come on Big Guy.”

Peter took Egon by the arm and walked him to Ecto-1. Egon just stared ahead, moving like a robot, not saying a word.

Winston got in behind the wheel while Peter and Egon sat in the back. They headed towards the hospital as fast but safely as they could. The only thing Egon could think was the last thing he had said to Janine. Then he only hoped he would be able to apologize before it was too late.


	2. The Blame Game

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Janine has been critically injured in a car accident. The Ghostbusters wait for her recovery; Egon blames himself.

The Ghostbusters arrive at New York-Presbyterian hospital. Ray was at the Firehouse, trying to locate phone numbers for Janine’s family. Winston ran to the ER nurse’s station to find out what room Janine was in.

“She’s in the middle of being triaged,” the nurse advised. She immediately recognized Winston and understood the relationship of who Janine was to him. “Are the other Ghostbusters here, too?” She asked. 

“Two of the others are on the way in,” Winston advised.

“If you’ll just have a seat and I’ll let you know as soon as they get her in a room,” the nurse said.

“Thanks,” Winston replied.

Peter came in with Egon in tow. Egon’s face was still pale and he hadn’t said a word during the whole trip. Peter and Egon walked over to where Winston was sitting and also sat down.

“She’s being triaged,” Winston told Peter. “They’ll get us when she’s in a room.” Winston looked worriedly at Egon. “Is he gonna be alright?” he asked Peter.

“Eventually,” Peter said. “The shock hasn’t worn off yet. And I’m sure after that fight he had with Janine, he’s gonna blame himself.”

“This accident isn’t his fault,” Winston pointed out.

“No, but the last thing he said to her wasn’t nice and I’m sure that’s playing on him,” Peter replied.

After thirty minutes of agonizing waiting, the doctor finally came out to greet the Ghostbusters.

“Hello gentlemen, I’m Dr Richards, the attending ER doctor. I understand you’re here with Ms Melnitz?” 

“Yes,” Winston said. 

All three guys stood up to speak with the doctor.

“I’ll be brief; Ms Melnitz is going to emergency surgery. She has a dislocated left shoulder and I believe a ruptured appendix from the impact of the other vehicle. Also, a severe concussion. The CT scan shows no signs of swelling or bleeding in the brain. I’ll update you as soon as I can.”

The doctor then rushed back towards the emergency OR area. 

Egon’s knees gave out. Peter and Winston moved quickly to help ease him into a chair. This news was hard for them to hear.

Peter tried to talk Egon down. Egon’s eyes were filling with tears, something Peter hadn’t seen since his father had passed several years before. 

“She’s gonna make it Spengs,” Peter told Egon gently.

“Yeah, you know how stubborn she is,” Winston said, trying to help ease the tension.

“I didn’t mean what I said to her,” Egon whispered. “She has to know that.”

“She does,” Peter tried to console him. “I bet she’ll be trying to get outta here in no time!”

“It’s all my fault,” Egon Continued. “If I hadn’t have said those awful things to her, she never would’ve ran out like that. She’d be at her desk working, safe and sound.”

“It’s nobody's fault, these things just happen,” Winston said.

“Not to her,” Egon said softly. “Not ever to her.”

The three men sat in silence as they waited for the doctor to come back.

********************  
It had been almost three hours since Janine had gone into emergency surgery for a ruptured appendix. Ray had found Janine’s address book and contacted her mother. He didn’t tell her the details of her fight with Egon; only the car accident. Her parents and sister joined Peter, Egon and Winston, as well as Ray.

Winston updated everyone with what they knew so far. Janine’s mother Denise burst into tears and sat down with her husband Fritz. Her sister Doris spoke with Winston.

“How bad is it really?” She asked quietly.

“We really don’t know,” Winston said. “The doctor only gave us a brief run down of her major injuries.”

“Egon’s taking it hard,” Doris said. 

“Afraid so,” Winston agreed.

“Janine had wanted things between them to work out so bad the first time,” Doris continued. “Looks like there may still be a chance?” she said, smiling with a glimmer of hope in her eyes. “I don’t think Jay has ever truly loved anyone else in her life until she met Egon.”

Winston just smiled back, not knowing what else to say.

Just then, Dr Richards entered the waiting area.

“I have news on Ms Melnitz,” he announced. The look on his face was grim.

“She pulled through the surgery; we were able to remove the ruptured appendix. There’s still a chance of infection so we’ve put her on IV antibiotics. She had a dislocated left shoulder which has also been repaired. However, I’m going to keep her in ICU until her vitals stabilize. I’m afraid to say she’s slipped into a coma due to the severe concussion. I have no way of knowing how long it’ll last. You will be allowed to see her soon but I have to ask that only two or three visitors at a time and keep the visits short. I wish I had better news.”

“Thank you Doctor,” Fritz Melnitz said.

Janine’s parents and sister went in first. They spent ten minutes in the room, then returned to the waiting room. Her mother was in tears, her father supporting her as they walked. Her sister was holding up strong but they all knew it was just for show. She’d likely melt down later in private. 

Fritz looked at the Ghostbusters. Tears rolled down his face as he said, “You boys go ahead.”

Winston and Ray went ahead of Peter and Egon. They stopped in their tracks after entering the room. They slightly stepped aside as Peter and Egon approached. 

Peter took two steps inside the doorway and froze. 

Egon followed; he slowly walked up to the side of the bed. He gently reached over to brush a strand of Janine’s hair out of her face. She was hooked up to all sorts of machines and IVs. Her left arm had been placed in a sling. She had multiple cuts and bruises on her arms and face. She looked peaceful as she lay there asleep. The soft, steady sound of the beep as her heart beat, being monitored as a precaution.

Egon took her right hand in his, careful not to pull the IV lose. Suddenly, he broke down into loud, uncontrollable sobs. His legs turned to jello as the burden of seeing Janine like this became more than he could bear. 

The guys rushed to his side, holding him up. Peter grabbed a chair and pulled it across the room to place it beside the bed. Ray and Winston eased Egon into the chair, his hand still holding Janine’s. 

“Easy there, Big Guy,” Peter said with his hand on Egon’s shoulder. 

They were all at a loss for words. Slowly, Egon began to regain control of himself. 

“I hate to leave but we should probably let her rest,” Ray spoke quietly to the others. 

Peter gave a nod and along with Ray and Winston’s help, they were able to get Egon up and moving out the door.

As they returned to the waiting area, Egon sat down by the window and stared outside. 

“We’re gonna camp out here, if it’s ok with you?” Peter asked Mr Melnitz.

“I believe that’s a good idea,” Fritz said. “I’d say we’re heading home but Denise isn’t gonna budge until Janine wakes up. She’s stubborn like that.”

“Now we know where Janine gets it from,” Winston said with a slight grin.

Fritz just gave him a warm smile and returned to his wife’s side on the couch. 

“I’ll go find us some coffee,” Ray suggested.

Winston looked at Peter as he watched Egon staring out the window. 

“What’s gonna happen to him if Janine doesn’t wake up?” Winston quietly asked Peter.

“He’s as good as gone, too” Peter replied solemnly.


	3. Love Brings Hope

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As everyone waits for Janine to come out of her coma, Egon does some serious soul searching.

It had been three days since Janine’s car accident; she was still in a coma. Her vitals had finally stabilized but, due to the coma, Dr Richards decided to keep her in ICU. 

Ray, Winston and Peter had taken shifts in leaving long enough to return to the Firehouse to shower and make sure no urgent calls had come in. Egon refused to leave the hospital. 

Janine’s parents and sister had also refused to leave.

They took turns visiting with Janine. Her mother and sister would sit and read out loud to her, discuss the latest gossip, hoping that she would wake up. 

The guys took turns, too. They’d discuss how she didn’t have to worry about her work backing up; they would help her. And they had rescheduled the appointments they had if they weren’t too urgent. Ray gave her messages from Slimer, usually something along the lines of, “Get well soon Jaanniiiiinne!”

When it was Egon’s turn, they gave him privacy. The guys figured anything he had to say to Janine would be personal.

*****************  
It was 1:37 pm that afternoon on the third day of Janine’s coma and Egon was sitting in a chair beside her bed. He was holding her hand carefully so as to not loosen the IVs. 

“Janine,” he said. “I believe somehow you can hear me. I want you to know that I am deeply sorry for what I said to you a few days ago. I didn’t mean it. I have always had the utmost respect for you. I only said what I did because you were right; I was jealous. Jealous of the fact that Louis knows you in a way that I hoped someday I would. I was afraid you had chosen him over myself. You were also right that I did have my chance. I blew it, every time. But please, please Janine. I promise you I won’t mess it up again if you’ll please give me one more chance. Let me give you the love you truly deserve.”

Egon then allowed himself to cry, his tears falling onto the bed beside Janine’s arm. 

Egon then felt a warm, gentle hand touch his shoulder. He sat up, turning quickly to see Janine’s mother standing there. She smiled warmly at Egon, her own tears streaming down her face.

“She loves you, too, Egon,” Denise Melnitz said. “She always has. She’ll come back to us.”

Egon places Janine’s hand on the bed and stood to face her mother. He leaned down and hugged her tightly. She returned the hug.

Just then, they both heard a slight moan. They turned to see Janine was slowly moving her fingers! The beep of the heart monitor picked up the rhythm, getting a bit faster.

“Janine!” her mother shouted.

The nurse who had been monitoring Janine just outside her room came rushing in.

She checked Janine’s vitals. Meanwhile, Egon and Denise could see Janine’s eyes fluttering underneath her eyelids. She slightly turned her head from side to side. 

As the nurse left the room to get the doctor, Egon stepped closer to the side of her bed, Denise on the opposite side of the bed. 

Janine slowly opened her eyes. Egon was the first person she saw. 

“Egon?” Janine said shakily.

Egon took her hand. “Yes! Janine, yes!” Tears swelled in his eyes.

Janine turned her head and saw her mother.

“Ma?”

“Yes Sweetheart! It’s Mom!”

Janine blinked a few times, trying to gauge her surroundings. 

The doctor came into the room with the nurse.

“Hello Ms Melnitz!” Dr Richards greeted her. “How do you feel?”

“Like I got hit by a bus!” Janine replied, her voice hoarse. 

“Well, not a bus but another vehicle,” the doctor said. 

Egon and Denise stepped back into the waiting area to update everyone while Dr Richards checked Janine and assessed her condition. 

After a few minutes, they were all allowed to visit in small groups for a short time. Janine was still recovering and needed her rest.

****************  
Dr Richards had decided to move Janine to a regular room. All four Ghostbusters, Janine’s parents and sister were all in the room. They were excited to see Janine had come out of her coma with no obvious signs of memory loss. 

Janine was sitting up in bed, her mother doting on her.

Janine rolled her eyes. “Ma, I’m not a toddler. I can cut up my own food.”

“I know Dear, I just wanna help,” her mother said.

“You know you can’t win, Jay,” her dad said with a laugh.

After Janine had finished eating, Fritz took Denise by the hand and led her outside the room. Her sister Doris left, too. 

“Let’s give her friends some time Hon,” Fritz said.

Reluctantly, Denise agreed.

Egon moved to the right side of the bed, Peter on the left. Winston and Ray stood at the foot of the bed. 

“So,” Peter began. “We’ll expect you back at the desk first thing in the morning,” he said with a grin. 

“You’re a slave driver, Dr V,” Janine said as she smiled.

“You’ll work half days at a time once you are back,” Egon said.

“Yes, Mom,” Janine said with a smile.

After twenty minutes of laughing and enjoying each other’s company, the nurse came in to see everyone out of the room.

“Ok, gentlemen,” the nurse said. “Let’s give the lady a break.”

“See ya later,” Ray said, waving good bye.

“Later, girlfriend,” Winston added.

“Try not to give the nice nurses up here hell, Janine,” Peter said with a grin.

Egon still stood by the bed. He didn’t want to leave, but he knew Janine needed rest. He still felt a bit of tension between the two of them.

“I’ll see you later if that’s ok?” He asked.

“Of course, I’d like that,” Janine said, smiling warmly.

Egon joined the others in the waiting area. Fritz had finally managed to get Denise to agree to go home and get some rest.

Doris walked up to Egon and said, “take care of her, Egon. Give her time; she’ll come ‘round.”

Egon nodded, slightly unsure of where things stood between Janine and himself. But he remembered what her mother had told him before Janine came out of her coma.

“She loves you, Egon. She always has.”

“I hope that hasn’t changed,” Egon thought.


	4. A New Day Dawns

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Janine returns to the Firehouse. Will she give Egon one last chance?

Janine was discharged two days after she awoke from her coma. The second CT scan showed everything was normal, no brain damage from the concussion. She was told by Dr Richards to expect soreness and would probably be in the sling for a couple of weeks while the shoulder heals. He also instructed her to seek medical attention immediately if she should have problems with headaches or vision.

The guys agreed to let her return to work a week later but only working half days (Egon’s strict instructions). 

Ray was helping Janine with typing up the notes.

“I appreciate you doing this for me, Ray” said Janine. “I can’t get a damn thing done with this freakin’ sling on!”

“No problem, Janine; glad to help. Just can’t type nearly as fast as you can!” Ray replied with a smile.

Just then, the phone rang.

“Ghostbusters!” Janine answered with her good hand. She balanced the receiver between her right ear and shoulder while writing the information using her right hand. “Got it! They’ll be there as soon as possible.”

She slammed the button, triggering the alarm. Winston came downstairs and Peter came sliding down the fire pole. Ray got up from Janine’s desk and headed towards his locker. 

“What’ve we got Big J?” Peter asked.

“Nothing major, Dr V. A small Class 2 from the sounds of it,” Janine replied.

“Good, then Egon can stay here in case you need anything,” Winston said. 

The guys had agreed that at least one of them should stay with Janine while the others went on calls. She had urged them that she could handle it but they had insisted.

“Damn, Janine! Looks like a first grader’s handwriting!” Peter teased as he took the paper from Janine, smiling.

“Best I can do right-handed, Dr V” she replied. 

“Just kidding, see ya!” Peter said, while jumping into the backseat of Ecto-1. 

As Winston, Ray and Peter left, Janine headed upstairs for another cup of coffee. 

Egon joined her in the kitchen.

“How’s the experiment coming along?” she asked.

“Slower than I would like, but a work in progress,” Egon replied, adjusting his glasses. 

Janine was on her way back towards the stairs with her coffee when she decided she needed to make sure Egon was ok. The last discussion they had before her accident still bothered her.

“Egon?” Janine asked in a small voice.

“Yes?” Egon said, walking up to Janine and standing closely in front of her. He gave her the warmest smile he could, but he was wondering where this conversation was headed.

“I just need to make sure you’re not upset with me anymore?” Janine said shakily. She had tears starting to form. “I mean, you were absolutely right to be upset and I apologize for what I said to you. I’m lucky you didn’t fire my ass for talking to you that way, but I’d understand if you want to.”

Egon gently took the cup of coffee from her hand and placed it on a nearby table in the hallway.

He then took her hand and looked directly in her beautiful blue eyes. 

“I’m the one who should apologize, Janine. It really is none of my business who you decide to date, spend time with, or even have romantic relations with,” Egon said, starting to blush.

He then added, “Unless that someone is me.”

Janine’s mouth dropped open, not believing what Egon had just said. 

“Do ...you...I mean...um..,” Janine stuttered.

Egon couldn’t resist smiling. “That’s usually my line,” he said.

Janine laughed with a slight snort. Then she gave Egon the brightest smile he had ever seen. Tears glistened in her eyes.

“Egon,” she said, trying to keep herself from breathing too quickly. “You know I’d love nothing more than for us to start dating but..” she trailed off.

Egon’s smile quickly faded, taking a step backwards, he let go of Janine’s hand. 

“But...” he said, looking down at the floor.

Janine walked towards him, and taking his hand in hers, she said, “can we wait until I can get rid of this sling? I don’t want people to think you beat me up on our first date?” She laughed.

Egon looked back at Janine, his smile returning brighter than ever. 

“Of course,” he said.

“Besides,” Janine continued, “I don’t have a dress that matches the stupid thing.”

She looked at Egon as he lightly chuckled. 

“I must admit that I was jealous,” Egon said. “The thoughts of anyone else, no matter who, touching you and kissing you, upset me to think about.”

“Egon..” Janine began, but Egon Continued.

“I need to say this, please.”

Janine nodded for him to continue.

“The reason I never called you during the past five years was because I was afraid of allowing myself to love you. The last relationship I had was years ago in college. It didn’t end well. And my father had successfully taught me over the years to not allow myself to act on such emotions. But when I started to fall in love with you, I let the past and my father’s teachings override those feelings.”

Janine started to cry silently. To hear Egon talk so openly about these things broke her heart. And if his father wasn’t already dead, she’d kill him herself. What kind of person would raise their child to be like this?

Egon Continued, “I realize now how wrong I was and I assumed after all this time, you had probably moved on with someone else. So I let my work in science consume me.”

Janine reached up and gently touched the side of Egon’s face. 

“There wasn’t anyone I wanted to be with,” Janine said. “And this thing with Louis was a stupid, drunken mistake. I swear it.”

Egon stepped closer to Janine; he rested his left hand on her waist, and cupped his right hand against the side of her face.

“I never meant to hurt you. But where do we go from here?” Egon asked.

Janine smiled mischievously, then said, “Well, I know what I’d like but I don’t usually do that on a first date.” She gave Egon a playful wink.

Egon blushed and smiled. “Yes, well, let’s keep our options open for the second date.”

Janine’s mouth gaped open, shocked that Egon would suggest that. 

“Let’s forget the past, and focus on our future,” Egon suggested.

“I think that’s the best idea,” Janine agreed.

Egon then leaned in and they embraced each other (as well as one can with their arm in a sling) and shared a deep, passionate kiss.

As they pulled away, Janine grinned and said, “wow! With a kiss like that, maybe we should rethink that second option!”

Egon slipped his arm around her waist and, as they headed back downstairs, he said, “Perhaps. How bad do you really need to wear that sling?”


End file.
